Strand treatment



: :RJK. STANLEY 3,512,231

' May 19, 1970 STRAND TREATMENT Filed June 10 1968 m/rwroz ROBERT K. STAN LEY W flag Wow- A TI'QAIVEVJ'.

United States Patent 3,512,231 STRAND TREATMENT Robert K. Stanley, Media, Pa., assignor to Techniservice Corporation, Kennett Square, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed June 10, 1968, Ser. No. 735,599 Int. Cl. D02g 1/12 U.S. Cl. 281.6 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A stuffer crimper for textile strands is provided with unidirectionally driven strand-intercepting means having an overrunning clutch permitting the strand-intercepting means to be movedfaster than the driven rate by contact with the accumulation of crimped strand being forced past by additional strand fed continuously into the crimper.

Stuffer crimping is a wellknown method of altering the configuration'of textile strands, especially when made up at least partially of smooth-surfaced synthetic filaments, such as 'c'omm'only result from extrusion of linear polymeric compositions. Most stutfer crimp'ers include some device intercepting to some extent the passage along which "strand being-crimped passesbetween entrance and the exit ofthe stuffing chamber in which 'it is confined temporarily. Such passage may be substantially straight, as in List et al."'U.S. Pat. 3,027,619; substantially semicircular, as in Mattingly et' a1. U.S. Pat. 3,174,206; or of intermediate or other configuration. Although reciprocat ing plungers and gates, sometimes spring-loaded, have been" used as strand-intercepting means, the two mentioned patents utilize for that purpose rotary means on fixed'axes', andSchwartz- U.S. Pat. 3,090,096 substitutes endless bands, unidirectionally movable \in each case.

, 'Unidir ectionally movable strand-intercepting means may be undriven, being moved only by contact with strand passing in the formof a compressed wad or accumulation through the s'tufiiing chamber, as in the first and last mentioned patents, or may be positively driven to convey such strand accumulation, as in the second mentioned patent. Because of the increased impedance presented to the'strand passing therethrough, 'positive conveyance is desirable when thepath pre'sentedlby the stufling chamber is substantially; curved. However, the inflexibility of such "system results in a less uniformly crimped product'than with the system in which movement of the strand-intercepting, means, against frictional retardatio'n, is provided solely by movement of the. strand accumulation through the smiling chamber. v v

A 'p'i imary object of the present invention is utilization of thefbe s't fg Qaturesv of both. positively driven and frictionally retarded undn'ven strand intercepting means"in a stulferj crimper for textile {'strandsl Another'objec't, is provision of improved control' over the impedance to whichstrand passing through afstuifer crimper-is subjected. j A' further object is stuife'r' crimping of textile 'strands under optimum impedance conditions; Other objects of this invention, together with means and methods for attaining the various bbjecti will be apparent from the following descripti( nand the accompartying diagramsmi' FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perpsective view of trance end of a lstuffer crimper;

FIG? 2" i's"aperspeCtiVe View, bn a somewhat reduced scale, of-strand-intercepting :means and associated elements;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation, on a further Patented May 19, 1970 "Ice reduced scale, of a straight-through stuffer crimper of this invention; and

FIG. 4 is a similar view of a fragmentary semicircular stuifer crimper of this invention.

FIG. 1 shows in perspective the entrance end of stuffing chamber 13, which has a generally rectangular cross section and tapers internally to receive strand passing through the nip of pair of feed rolls 12 fitting in suitable recessing of the end of the chamber. The rolls are counterrotated on their respective axes by conventional drive means (not shown) so as to feed strand to be crimped from a suitable source of supply thereof (not shown) along path 11 to the roll nip.

FIG. 2 shows in perspective gearlike strand-intercepting device 16 on axle 17 leading to clutch 18 from which shaft 19 leads to pulley 29. Motor 25 rotates shaft 26 carrying pulley 27 and thereby rotates pulley 29 by means of belt 28 interconnecting the two pulleys.

FIG. 3 shows in side elevation straight-through stufiing chamber 23, except for the entrance end thereof which may be like that of chamber 13 in FIG. .1, recessed to receive strand-intercepting device of FIG. 2 at an intermediate location, part of the chamber from that location to the exit end also being deleted to conserve space of illustration. From the exit end, shown as the top end, crimped strand 10 is withdrawn and wound up onto package 32 rotated by surface contactwith roll 31, which may be of well known grooved strand-traversing type, rotated by suitable drive means (not shown).

FIG. 4 shows in side elevation semicircular stufiing chamber 33 recessed to receive strand-intercepting device 16 along most of its length, exwpt for the entrance end thereof, shown departing at a right angle, which may be like that of chamber 13 in FIG. 1. In this embodiment the peripheral surface of the strand-intercepting device functions as most of one sidewall (moving, of course) of the stuffing chamber, whereas in the previous embodiment it replaces only a relatively short length of one sidewall. Here again the crimped strand is shown as being withdrawn and wound up on package 32 rotated by roll 31.

According to this invention, clutch 18 is of overrunning type connected so that, if the force by which the strand accumulation is being propelled through the initial part of the passage in the stufling chamber by the feeding of additional strand into the entrance end into contact therewith exceeds the force imparted to the strand-intercepting device by the drive means, its rate of rotation can increase without affecting the drive means. Such clutches are well known in the mechanical and electromagnetic arts. One such typeof mechanical clutch is known as the Spragg clutch. Various means are employed to permitoverrunning in mechanical clutches, such as a ramp and roller, cam with swing arm, and gear with one or more spring-loaded detents normally engaged therewith. Other frictional means of permitting overrunning, in mechanical clutches are alsoknown. It is desirable that the degree of spring-loading or friction bevariable throughout a range of values as desired, which usually is accomplished by a simple screwadjustment. V

Alternatively, an electromagnetic type of clutch may be employed, in which the degree of overrunning or slippage is controllable. Control may be effected by varying an applied'voltage to vary the magnetic fieldand thereby vary the effective degree of coupling through dry eddycurrent means or in a coupling fluid containing magnetizable particles, for example. Such electromagnetic clutches are-well known, and other types of clutch providing an equivalent effect regardless of type of construction or operation, whetherelectromagnetic,mechanical, or other, would be similarly suitable. This invention is more concerned with the feature of using such a clutch or coupling rather than with the inner structure thereof, which itself may be entirely conventional.

In operation the clutch should be adjusted, or if nonadjustable then selected with such characteristics, so as to match, at least approximately, the usual rate of travel of the crimped strand accumulation through the chamber with the drive rate of the strand-intercepting device, whereupon any increase in such rate of travel will overrun the clutch as compared with the drive rate. Contrariwise, any tendency toward a decrease in rate of strand travel will be counter-acted by the conveying efiect of the driven strand-intercepting device. It is preferable to set the clutch for more than occasional overrunning. The strand being crimped is subjected, according to this invention, to a more nearly constant impedance or back pressure, while avoiding undue lateral friction downstream from the locus at which the strand first encounters suflicient compression to form it into crimped configuration. The resultant crimped strand has improved regularity of physical characteristics, notwithstanding its contorted crimped configuration, such as are important in further processing into end products, such as carpeting, apparel fabric, or other textile materials.

Although certain embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, modifications may be made therein, as by adding, combining, or subdividing parts or steps or substituting equivalents, while retaining some or all of the advantages or benefits of this invention, which itself is defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus for treating textile strand to impart crimp thereto, having means providing a temporarily confining passage in which the strand accumulates under compression in crimped configuration as additional strand is fed thereinto by suitable feed means to accumulate temporarily and be compressed and crimped therein, the improvement comprising means intermediately located spaced between the respective ends of the strand passage and intercepting the passage at least partially and thereby impeding movement of the strand accumulation therethrough, and means for driving the intercepting means at a conveying rate to forward the intercepted strand accumulation further therethrough at a rate sufliciently slow to assure accumulation, compression, and crimping of additional strand fed into the passage, the drive means including means enabling the intercepting means to be overdriven by movement of accumulated strand thereagainst at a rate greater than the conveying rate.

2. Stuifer-crimper for textile strands, comprising a stuffing chamber to receive and temporarily confine textile strand, having an entrance and an exit and a passage therebetween; means for feeding textile strand continuously into the chamber entrance; unidirectionally movable means located intermediate the chamber entrance and exit, intercepting the passage at least partially, and having a strand-engaging peripheral surface; drive means operatively interconnected to the unidirectionally movable strand-intercepting means, including interconnecting linkage and overrunning clutch means interconnected to permit movement of strand in contact with the strandengaging surface to move the strand-intercepting means faster than the drive means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, including means located outside the chamber for withdrawing crimped strand from the chamber at a location between the locus of interception of the chamber and the exit thereof.

4. In stuffer-crimping apparatus for textile strands, comprising a temporarily confining chamber into and through which strand passes and in which it is compressively crimped and strand-feeding means for forcing strand into the chamber, the combination of unidirectionally movable strand-intercepting means comprising a rotary device on a fixed axis for impeding strand therein and conveying strand accumulated therein further therethrough, drive means operatively interconnected thereto by drive linkage for moving the strand-intercepting means unidirectionally, and overrunning clutch means interposed therebetween in the drive linkage whereupon the strand-intercepting means can be overdriven by movement of intercepted strand accumulation as more strand is fed into the chamber and the'reagainst.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the chamber defines at least in part a curved passage conforming substantially to part of the peripheral surface of the rotary device.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the chamber defines a substantially straight passage having an entrance and an exit, being intercepted therebetween by the rotary device through a minor are along the peripheral surface thereof.

7. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the chamber defines a substantially semicircular passage having an entrance and an exit, being intercepted therebetween by the rotary device through a substantially semicircular are along the peripheral surface thereof.

DORSEY NEWTON, Primary Examiner 

